New Coalition to Step Up Efforts to Recycle Ghana's E-Waste

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Leading Japanese trading company, Itochu Corporation announced that it has launched a new initiative in partnership with the Netherlands-based Closing the Loop (CTL) to boost recycling of electronics dumped in Ghana. For every smartphone sold by its clients in Japan, the company will ensure that one mobile device is recycled in Africa.

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Agbogbloshie district in Accra, Ghana has been a dumping yard for mobile devices, computers, televisions, and other types of electronic waste brought in from the developed world. The region, popularly known as ‘Electronics Graveyard’ of the world, is believed to contain several tens of millions of tons of harmful e-waste. The open burning in the area causes release of toxic gases, posing health risks to residents and contamination of water sources.

Under the new partnership, Itochu will act as a service provider for CTL. It has already launched recycling services for smartphone and telecommunications companies in Japan.

The service will initially cover the "arrows N F-51C" smartphone model from FCNT Limited. FCNT will pay a service fee to Itochu for each phone sold. In return, Itochu will collect and recycle one discarded mobile device in Africa.